Throughout this year’s Illinois budget negotiations, the IIFS blog was a valuable source of information and focus in the State’s murky and complex budget process. This year’s negotiations included a groundbreaking effort to address the…
A look back at the Civic Federation’s blog this year provides a preview of upcoming fiscal challenges for local governments in 2013. Pension Funding The most urgent fiscal challenge for Illinois governments continues to be the pension…
This article discusses a potential factor in the City of Chicago’s work with its unions and the Illinois General Assembly to achieve sustainable pension reforms: the pending expiration of…
This article discusses a ten-year settlement agreement set to expire on June 30, 2013 that requires the City of Chicago to share health care costs with retirees. The Civic Federation recommends that Mayor Emanuel and the City County…
On June 30, 2011 the Civic Federation released Recommendations for a Financially Sustainable City of Chicago. The report offered a comprehensive set of forty recommendations to…
Since 1988, the City of Chicago and its four pension funds have been party to the settlement of…
The State of Illinois budget for fiscal year 2013 underfunds the expected cost of State group health insurance by at least $550 million, paving the way for a significant increase in unpaid bills unless more spending is authorized later…
Faced with the threat of a significant budget gap in FY2013, the Illinois General Assembly has approved legislation that would reduce the State’s bill for retiree health insurance by shifting more of the costs to retirees. Senate Bill 1313…
On May 7, 2012, the Civic Federation sent this letter to Senator Gary Forby and the members of the Illinois General Assembly. Click here to read…
Update: On May 9, 2012, the Illinois Senate narrowly rejected Senate Bill 3564. The vote was 29 to 23, with one member voting present. Passage requires a majority vote of the 59 Senate members.On May 7, 2012, the Civic Federation…
